Therapy Dog Visits for Patients Hospitalized With Traumatic Injuries

Status: Recruiting
Location: See location...
Intervention Type: Other
Study Type: Interventional
Study Phase: Not Applicable
SUMMARY

Animal assisted therapy (AAT) with dogs has been shown to be beneficial for a wide range of patients with both acute and chronic illnesses, including spinal cord injuries, heart failure, myocardial infarctions, strokes, cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression. Studies have also demonstrated that even in healthy adults, the presence of dogs is associated with physiologic changes such as increased pain threshold, decreased blood pressure, and decreased heart rate. However, few studies have investigated the role of AAT in the post-operative course in adults. This study will investigate the impact of therapy dog visits on pain and anxiety scores for trauma patients at Boston Medical Center (BMC).

Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: All
Minimum Age: 18
Healthy Volunteers: f
View:

• Patients admitted to the Trauma and Acute Care Surgery (TACS) service following a trauma

• English or Spanish speaking

• Able to provide informed consent

Locations
United States
Massachusetts
Boston Medical Center, Trauma Inpatient Service
RECRUITING
Boston
Contact Information
Primary
Sabrina Sanchez, MD MPH
sabrina.sanchez@bmc.org
617 414 4861
Backup
Sara Myers, MD
sara.myers@bmc.org
617 638 9191
Time Frame
Start Date: 2025-06-04
Estimated Completion Date: 2026-06
Participants
Target number of participants: 80
Treatments
Experimental: Therapy dog visits
Participants randomized into this arm will receive visits from a therapy dog and their handler during hospitalization.
Active_comparator: Dog handler visits
Participants randomized into this arm will receive visits from a dog handler during hospitalization.
Sponsors
Collaborators: Boston Medical Center Healing Pups Program
Leads: Boston Medical Center

This content was sourced from clinicaltrials.gov